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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. land — a country
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — soda
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com